Germany-based plantmaker SMS Group has announced that its US subsidiary SMS Technical Services has opened a new service and maintenance workshop in Osceola, in the southern US state of Arkansas, less than two miles away from the steel plant of Big River Steel (BRS). Once Big River Steel’s steel complex is in operation, SMS Technical Services will have a total of about 50 people working in the Osceola service workshop and in Big River Steel’s two roll shops.
The Osceola workshop offers operators of high-speed continuous casters in North America, such as Big River Steel, a full line of services, including repairs, overhauls, maintenance as well as reconditioning of casting molds.
SMS stated that it has been consistently pursuing the concept of establishing local service branches all over the world, which helps steel mill operators needing to have components of their plants serviced or repaired save on shipping costs. Accordingly, SMS Technical Services will be responsible for the investments related to the construction of the roll shops, for the roll shop personnel and for the operation and it will also provide the roll grinding machines and auxiliary facilities for the roll shops. Thus the Osceola site of SMS Technical Services is another important milestone in the growing network of SMS Group service locations in North America.